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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · prune · bark · perch · kick · stick · rash · stem

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — in football
  4. rash — a series
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com